.Radiohead released their first single, "Creep", in 1992. The song was initially unsuccessful, but it became a worldwide hit several months after the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey (1993).^Pablo Honey 1993 .

.Featuring an expansive sound and themes of modernalienation, OK Computer has often been acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s.^Featuring an expansive sound and themes of modern alienation, OK Computer has often been acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s.

^Popular both for its expansive sound and themes of modern alienation, the album has been acclaimed by critics as a landmark record of the 1990's, some critics go as far to consider it one of the best of all time.

.Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001) marked an evolution in Radiohead's musical style, as the group incorporated experimental electronic music, Krautrock, post-punk and jazz influences.^Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001) marked an evolution in Radiohead's musical style, as the group incorporated experimental electronic music, Krautrock, post-punk and jazz influences.

^Radiohead 1 Among Radiohead members' earliest influences were Queen and Elvis Costello; post-punk acts such as Joy Division and Magazine; and 1980s alternative rock bands such as R.E.M., the Pixies, The Smiths, Rush and Sonic Youth.

^Kid A’ and the following ‘Amnesiac’ saw Radiohead embrace electronic elements openly, initially dividing fans but with hindsight the records serve as necessary indicators of where the band would arrive at with ‘Hail To The Thief’ (2003) and ‘In Rainbows’ (2007) – envelope-pushing experimentation that always ensures it retains an accessible edge.

.The band's first six albums, released via EMI, had sold more than twenty-five million copies by 2007.[1] Radiohead independently released their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007), originally as a digital download for which customers could set their own price, and later in physical form to critical and chart success.^Radiohead album i pick up first.

.Radiohead's work has appeared in a large number of listener polls and critics' lists.^James M gave it a 9 : Radiohead has been recommended several times over the years but due to my study and already large list of music i wanted to download i put it off.

[2][3].For example, in 2005 Radiohead were ranked number 73 in Rolling Stone's list of "the greatest artists of all time".[4] While the band's earlier albums were particularly influential on British rock and pop music,[5] their later albums brought them a wide audience.^Yes, this is the best album of all time.

.In 1985 they formed the band "On a Friday", the name referring to the band's usual rehearsal day in the school's music room.^Initially called On a Friday, the band began pursuing a musical career in earnest in the early '90s, releasing the Drill EP in 1992.

^Every January they hold a 4-day musical and educational event in Jamaica, with concerts, songwriting classes, instrumental lessons, et al.

Radiohead, The 4-Hour Work Week and the Importance of Raving Fans | Copyblogger28 January 2010 0:43 UTCwww.copyblogger.com [Source type: General]

[8].The group played their first gig in late 1986 at Oxford's Jericho Tavern;[9] Jonny Greenwood originally joined as a harmonica and then keyboard player, but he soon became the lead guitarist.^With Ed, Phil and Jon joining in, the quintet formed a band called On A Friday while they were students in England in 1987 and made their first appearance in Jericho's Tavern in Oxford.

[10].In 1991, when all the members except Jonny had completed their university degrees, On a Friday regrouped, began to record demos such as Manic Hedgehog, and performed live gigs around Oxford.^It was all recorded live in Oxford.

.Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley had an active indie scene in the late 1980s, but it centred around shoegazing bands such as Ride and Slowdive; On a Friday were never seen as fitting this trend, commenting that they had missed it by the time they returned from university.^They've built a fan base in the millions with their label, and now they're able to cash in on that fan base with none of the income or profit going to the label this time around.

.Nevertheless, as On a Friday's number of live performances increased, record labels and producers became interested.^Robbie loves his fans, and his records get better and better and he deserves his status as one of the world's premier recording and performing artists and still yet the labels continue to get it wrong,.

.Chris Hufford, Slowdive's producer and the co-owner of Oxford's Courtyard Studios, attended an early On a Friday concert at the Jericho Tavern.^At the recent The Great Escape festival in Brighton, England, bassist Colin Greenwood said the band have returned to their Oxford studio and are working with producer Nigel Godrich.

.Impressed by the band, he and his partner Bryce Edge produced a demo tape and became On a Friday's managers;[10] they remain the band's managers to this day.^Bryce Says: October 10th, 2007 at 11:45 pm Yes, they’re capable of producing crap, but name a great band that isn’t.

.Following a chance meeting between Colin Greenwood and EMIrepresentative Keith Wozencroft at the record shop where Greenwood worked, the band signed a six-album recording contract with the label in late 1991.[10] At the request of EMI, the band changed their name to Radiohead, inspired by the title of a song on Talking Heads' True Stories album.^They switched to Radiohead in 1989 because it was the name of a Talking Heads song.

Pablo Honey, The Bends and early success (1992–1995)

.Radiohead recorded their debut release, the DrillEP, with Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge at Courtyard Studios.^Initially called On a Friday, the band began pursuing a musical career in earnest in the early '90s, releasing the Drill EP in 1992.

Released in March 1992, its chart performance was very poor. Subsequently, the band enlisted Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade—who had worked with US indie bands Pixies and Dinosaur Jr.—to produce their debut album, recorded quickly in an Oxford studio in 1992.[8] With the release of the "Creep" single late in the year, Radiohead began to receive attention in the British music press, not all of it favourable. NME described them as "a lily-livered excuse for a rock band",[12] and "Creep" was blacklisted by BBC Radio 1 because it was deemed "too depressing".[13]

.The band released their debut album, Pablo Honey, in February 1993. It stalled at number 22 in the UK charts, as "Creep" and its anthemic follow-up singles "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Stop Whispering" failed to become radio or video hits.^Pablo Honey , Radiohead's debut album, was released to mixed reviews in the spring of 1993.

."Pop Is Dead", a non-album single later disavowed by the band, sold equally poorly.^"Optimistic" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead , the sixth track on their 2000 album Kid A. No singles were released from Kid...

.Some critics compared the band's early style to the wave of grunge music popular in the early 1990s—to the extent of Radiohead being dubbed "Nirvana-lite"[14]—yet Pablo Honey failed to make either a critical or a commercial splash upon its initial release.^Radiohead 5 Pablo Honey was a great album by them .

[12].Despite shared influences with popular guitar-heavy acts, and some notice for Yorke's falsetto voice, the band toured only British universities and clubs.^The band's popularity increased in the United Kingdom with their second album, The Bends (1995), which featured dense guitar atmospheres and Yorke's falsetto singing.

."Creep" had been played very frequently on Israeli radio by an influential DJ, and in March, after the song became a hit on that country's charts, Radiohead were invited to Tel Aviv for their first live gig overseas.^As the band launched a European supporting tour, "Creep" became a sudden smash hit in America, earning heavy airplay on modern rock radio and MTV. On the back of the single's success, Radiohead toured the U.S. extensively, opening for Belly and Tears for Fears.

.By the time Radiohead began their first North American tour in June 1993, the music video for "Creep" was in heavy rotation on MTV.^I'd written Choke while listening to [Radiohead's 1993 debut album] Pablo Honey, with Creep over and over and over...

^As the band launched a European supporting tour, "Creep" became a sudden smash hit in America, earning heavy airplay on modern rock radio and MTV. On the back of the single's success, Radiohead toured the U.S. extensively, opening for Belly and Tears for Fears.

[10].The song rose to number two on the US modern rock chart, entered the lower reaches of the top 40 pop chart, and finally hit number seven in the UK singles chart when EMI re-released it in Britain late in the year.^Top Pop Songs of 2009 .

^Note : Song title and position links lead you to the song's Top 40 chart run (from the ARC Weekly Top 40 ) and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often including track listings and sound samples).

.Unexpected attention to the single in America caused the label to improvise new promotional plans, and the band shuttled back and forth between continents, playing over 150 concerts in 1993.[15] Radiohead nearly broke up due to the pressure of sudden success as the Pablo Honey supporting tour extended into its second year.^Pablo Honey 1993 .

[19].Band members described the tour as difficult to adjust to, saying that towards its end they were "still playing the same songs that [they had] recorded two years previously...^I can't say they've ever recorded a "bad" record.

like being held in a time warp", when they were eager to work on new songs.[20]

.The band began work on their second album in 1994, hiring veteran Abbey Road studios producer John Leckie.^At the recent The Great Escape festival in Brighton, England, bassist Colin Greenwood said the band have returned to their Oxford studio and are working with producer Nigel Godrich.

.Tensions were high, with mounting expectations on the band to deliver a superior follow-up to match or exceed the success of "Creep".[21] Recording felt unnatural in the studio, band members having over-rehearsed their material.^A recent report surfaced on Radiohead fan site www.greenplastic.com adding to the rumours that the band was back in the studio record the follow-up to 2003s Hail to the Thief .

[22] They sought a change of scenery, touring the Far East, Australasia and Mexico in an attempt to reduce the pressure. .The band found greater confidence performing their new music live.^Apparently the USC Marching Band won the remix contest Radiohead ran awhile back; they are now performing live on the Grammys with The Greatest Band Alive.

[22].However, confronted again by the fame he had achieved, Yorke became disillusioned at being "right at the sharp end of the sexy, sassy, MTV eye-candy lifestyle" he felt he was helping to sell to the world.^Manson Says: November 4th, 2007 at 2:10 am I think this is probably about a race war that will end up with me being king of the world… .

.My Iron Lung, an EP and single released late in 1994, was Radiohead's reaction, marking a transition towards the greater depth they aimed for on their second album.^Reply Score = 3 They said they'll release singles and EPs.

[24].Promoted through alternative radio stations, the hard-edged single's sales were better than expected, and suggested for the first time that the band had found a loyal fan base beyond one hit.^We increase our fan base, we sell more merchandise, more fans talk about the band and we get more advertising and more films (soundtracks).

^While the band didn't release any singles or embark on a formal tour, the album met with a mixed critical response as the group was accused of creating a distant and radio-unfriendly record; however, it did remain a fan favorite.

[25].Having introduced more new songs on tour, Radiohead finished recording their second album by year's end, and they released The Bends in March 1995. The album was driven by dense riffs and ethereal atmospheres from the band's three guitarists, with greater use of keyboards than their debut.^Tonight: This new Radiohead album is awesome.

[8] It also received stronger reviews for both songwriting and performances.[12]

.While Radiohead were seen as outsiders to the Britpop scene that dominated the media's attention at the time, they were finally successful in their home country with The Bends,[11] as singles "Fake Plastic Trees", "High and Dry", "Just", and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" made their way to UK chart success; the latter song placed Radiohead in the top five for the first time.^I am a fan of radiohead, and have seen them several times.

.In 1995, Radiohead again toured North America and Europe, this time in support of R.E.M., one of their formative influences and at the time one of the biggest rock bands in the world.^Radiohead has always been one of the best artsy rock bands out.

[20] The buzz generated by such famous fans as Michael Stipe, along with distinctive music videos for "Just" and "Street Spirit", helped to sustain Radiohead's popularity outside the UK.

.However, Radiohead's growing fan base was insufficient for them to repeat the commercial popularity of "Creep" worldwide.^The Bends had less of an effect and I only bothered to listen to creep about 5 years after becoming a radiohead "fan", this being the only track from Pablo Honey I have actually listened to.

^Radiohead were initially branded as a one-hit wonder abroad, but caught on at home in the UK with their second album, " The Bends " (1995), earning fans with their dense guitar atmospheres and front man Thom Yorke ’s expressive singing.

^It might seem that there are a lot of Radiohead clones out there, and while that’s a comparison that borders on copping out for lack of a better one, the fact remains that Bends -era Radiohead coarses through the collective vein of Dear Future.

.Jonny Greenwood said, "I think the turning point for us came about nine or twelve months after The Bends was released and it started appearing in people's [best of] polls for the end of the year.^The CD release came about 3 months later.

^And so, I think it's interesting that he makes a very valid point about Radiohead and that people who disagree don't counter it with an intelligent argument but rather claim they're "all done with the silver jews."

."Lucky", released as a single to promote the War Child charity's The Help Album,[28] had come out of a brief session with Nigel Godrich, a young audio engineer who had assisted on The Bends and also produced a 1996 B-side, "Talk Show Host". The band decided to produce their next album with Godrich's assistance, and they began work in early 1996. By July they had recorded four songs at their rehearsal studio, Canned Applause, a converted apple shed in the countryside near Didcot, Oxfordshire.^Showing single artist release groups.

.In August 1996 Radiohead toured as the opening act for Alanis Morissette, seeking to perfect their new songs live before completing the record.^BTW, Radiohead is also selling a physical boxed set, which contains the new album on CD and on two 12" heavyweight vinyl records, along with a second enhanced CD containing more new songs, digital photographs and artwork.

They then resumed recording, again outside a traditional music studio, settling instead at a 15th-century mansion, St. Catherine's Court, near Bath.[30].The recording sessions were relaxed, with the band playing at all hours of the day, recording songs in different rooms, and listening to The Beatles, DJ Shadow, Ennio Morricone and Miles Davis for inspiration.^These eleven tracks were recorded during the same sessions that produced 2000's 'Kid A,' but are a bit more song-like and a bit less electronic.

^"Exit Music (For a Film)" One of the few films that bored me so stupidly I stopped it midway through was Baz Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo + Julet, a modern version of the classic story (with guns, basically), so I did not know until many years later that this song was commissioned for the ending credits- hence the rather literal title.

.Most of the rest of the album was complete by the end of 1996, and by March 1997, the record was mixed and mastered.^Recorded live at Levon Helm’s home studio in Woodstock, NY, there’s an immediacy missing from albums of most bands that like to jam like the Crowes do.

.Radiohead released their third album, OK Computer, in June 1997. Largely composed of melodic rock songs, the new record also found the band experimenting with song structures and incorporating some ambient, avant garde and electronic influences.^Radiohead - OK Computer (CD 1997) VGC !!

.The album's lyrics took a more observational, less personal tone than The Bends, expressing what one magazine called "end-of-the-millennium blues".[31]OK Computer met with great critical acclaim, and Yorke admitted that he was "amazed it got the reaction it did.^Better than Ok Computer and Bends.

None of us fucking knew any more whether it was good or bad. .What really blew my head off was the fact that people got all the things, all the textures and the sounds and the atmospheres we were trying to create."^I keep changing my mind on what the best songs are, because they really are all that good.

[33]."Paranoid Android", "Karma Police" and "No Surprises" were released as singles from the album, of which "Karma Police" was most successful internationally.^The album featured the popular singles " Paranoid Android ", " Karma Police " and " No Surprises ".

.The release of OK Computer was followed by the "Against Demons" world tour.^I think in years to come people will look back on Radiohead and followed their White Album (OK Computer) up with an Abbey Road.

.Grant Gee, the director of the "No Surprises" video, accompanied and filmed the band, releasing the footage in the 1999 documentary Meeting People Is Easy.^In what follows, I explore the bears' appearances in QuickTime computer-animated music video shorts released concurrently with Kid A , the band's critically anticipated fourth album.

Radiohead's Antivideos: Works of Art in the Age of Electronic Reproduction28 January 2010 0:43 UTCpmc.iath.virginia.edu [Source type: General]

^By no means the band's best, it seems that, given the length of time it took to arrive, and the method of its release, the press had already decided this was going to be great.

[34].The film portrays the band's disaffection with the music industry and press, showing their burnout as they progressed from their first tour dates in mid-1997 to mid-1998, nearly a year later.^They are a solid band that has made many years of "original" music.

^Very few albums are superior enough to obtain a five star rating but occasionally a band slips through the river of mediocrity that is the modern music industry and they produce an album that restores our faith in the future of rock!

^A monstrosity of an album conceived in 1996 and was released a year later in June of 1997, Radiohead achieved a monumental piece of work that earned triple platinum in the U.K., double platinum in the U.S.,a Grammy nomination and was awarded Best alternative music album.

[8] The film is also notable for documenting earlier versions of songs that were never released or were not released until years later, such as "How to Disappear Completely", "Life in a Glasshouse" and "Nude". During this time the band also released a music video compilation, 7 Television Commercials, as well as two EPs, Airbag/How Am I Driving? and No Surprises/Running from Demons, that compiled their B-sides from OK Computer singles.

Kid A, Amnesiac and a change in sound (1999–2001)

Jonny Greenwood has used a variety of instruments, such as this glockenspiel, in live concerts and recordings.

.Radiohead were largely inactive following their 1997–1998 tour; after its end, their only public performance in 1998 was at an Amnesty International concert in Paris.^I do admire Radiohead in that they are true to their convictions irrespective of the fact that they will always be followed by a cloud of shit - either they are messiahs or only doing what they do because they can because they are rich.

[35].Yorke later admitted that during that period the band came close to splitting up, and that he had developed severe depression.^He scoffs at their efforts to make up lost ground by developing into "multimedia entertainment companies that can manage bands and share in live income".

.Although there was no longer any pressure or even a deadline from their record label, tension during this period was high.^Even the google service in China is just a gateway drug into the darkest pits of the record labels!

.Band members all had different visions for Radiohead's future, and Yorke was experiencing writer's block, influencing him toward a more abstract, fragmented form of songwriting.^Will check out more Radiohead in the future.

^Radiohead’s original influences were cited as alternative rock and post-punk bands like The Smiths , Pixies , Magazine , Joy Division , and R.E.M. (with lead singer of the band, Thom Yorke, refering to himself as an 'R.E.M. groupie').

^Aaron Fisher on October 08, 2007 at 08:38 PM Report this comment I agree with Radiohead's way of distributing their music, but what about the new bands that have nothing to their name -- except their name?

.Rather than being a stylistic sequel to OK Computer, Kid A featured a minimalist and textured style with less overt guitar parts and more diverse instrumentation including the ondes Martenot, programmed electronic beats, strings, and jazz horns.^Better than Ok Computer and Bends.

[36].It debuted at number one in many countries, including the US, where its debut atop the Billboard chart marked a first for the band and a rare success in the US by UK musicians.^Casey R. gave it a 9 : Not as good as their debut ;-) LOL This is one of the rare bands that you could never get away with saying that.

[6].This success was attributed variously to marketing, to the album's leak on the file-sharing network Napster a few months before its release, and to advance anticipation based, in part, on the success of OK Computer.^Within months, 'OK Computer' was one of the greatest albums ever made.

[37][38][39].Although Radiohead did not release any singles from Kid A, promos of "Optimistic" and "Idioteque" received radio play, and a series of "blips", or short videos set to portions of tracks, were played on music channels and released freely on the Internet.^Radiohead generation believes music is free .

[40].The band had read Naomi Klein's anti-globalization book No Logo during the recording, and they decided to continue a summer 2000 tour of Europe later in the year in a custom-built tent free of advertising; they also promoted Kid A with three sold-out North American theatre concerts.^They continue to evolve like no other band.

^The mercurial band's long-awaited follow-up three years later was a sharp left turn full of ambient electronics and Can-like sonic deconstruction, and they've continued the trend with subsequent albums and solo projects.

.Kid A received a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and a nomination for Album of the Year in early 2001. Yet it won both praise and criticism in independent music circles for appropriating underground styles of music, while some mainstream British critics saw Kid A as a "commercial suicide note", labelling it "intentionally difficult" and longing for a return to the band's earlier style.^In 1998, OK Computer received a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album (Hale 127) and the band was nominated for four MTV awards (133).

Radiohead's Antivideos: Works of Art in the Age of Electronic Reproduction28 January 2010 0:43 UTCpmc.iath.virginia.edu [Source type: General]

[23][41].Yorke, however, denied that Radiohead had set out to eschew commercial expectations, saying, "I was really, really amazed at how badly [Kid A] was being viewed ...^I'd say my major complaint about Radiohead, however, isn't as much the music itself (except for those moments that sound too derived), as it is Thom Yorke's vocals.

because the music's not that hard to grasp. We're not trying to be difficult ... .We're actually trying to communicate but somewhere along the line, we just seemed to piss off a lot of people ...^RX gave it a 9 : For a while I was with a lot of the people giving this 5's and 6's, thinking it seems a little bland and easy-going.

.Amnesiac, released in June 2001, comprised additional tracks from the Kid A recording sessions.^It wasn't even the best track on Kid A , but that version is infinitely better than "Morning Bell/Amnesiac."

.Radiohead's musical style on these songs was similar to that of Kid A in their fusion of electronic music and jazz influences, though more reliant on the use of guitars.^These Radiohead tracks are not songs.

.The record was a critical and commercial success worldwide, it topped the UK Albums Chart and reached number two in the US, being nominated for a Grammy Award and the Mercury Music Prize.^Kid A , which received a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album in 2000, was highly anticipated due to the success of OK Computer , the band's 1997 album which was among the top-ten highest selling albums in Great Britain.

Radiohead's Antivideos: Works of Art in the Age of Electronic Reproduction28 January 2010 0:43 UTCpmc.iath.virginia.edu [Source type: General]

^Note that while OK Computer has reached numerous “Top 10 albums of its decade” lists, as far as I am aware Pablo Honey has reached none.

[6][12].After Amnesiac's release, the band embarked on a world tour, visiting North America, Europe and Japan.^Yorke's comments emerge just days after his band released a download-only single , in tribute to first world war veteran Harry Patch.

.Meanwhile, "Pyramid Song" and "Knives Out", Radiohead's first issued singles since 1998, were modestly successful, and "I Might Be Wrong", initially planned as a third single, expanded into Radiohead's thus far only live record.^I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings is Radiohead's only live album up to date.

.They then recorded the new material in two weeks in a Los Angeles studio with Nigel Godrich, adding several tracks later in Oxford, where the band continued their work into the next year.^Oxford giants Radiohead have revealed that they have returned to the studio to begin work on new ....

.Radiohead members described the recording process as relaxed, in contrast to the tense sessions for Kid A and Amnesiac.^Released in 2007, this album is also quite well known for Radiohead's break from their previous main record label in an attempt to give themselves more freedom in the releasing process.

[7].The band's sixth album, Hail to the Thief, was released in June 2003. Mixing sounds from throughout their career, Hail to the Thief combined guitar-based rock with electronic influences and topical lyrics by Yorke.^Their 2003 album Hail to the Thief has been hailed as their "return to rock" album.

[42].Although the album was critically praised, many critics felt that Radiohead were treading water creatively rather than continuing the "genre-redefining" trend that OK Computer had begun.^Better than Ok Computer and Bends.

[43].Nevertheless, Hail to the Thief enjoyed commercial success, debuting at number one in the UK and number three on the Billboard chart and eventually being certified platinum in the UK and gold in the US. The album's singles, "There There", "Go to Sleep" and "2 + 2 = 5", achieved a level of play on modern rock radio.^Their 2003 album Hail to the Thief has been hailed as their "return to rock" album.

.Yorke denied that Hail to the Thief's title was a comment on the controversial 2000 US presidential election, explaining that he first heard the words in a BBC Radio 4 discussion of 19th century American politics.^Most of the tracks seem quite much like filler if anything, lush depressing romantic filler (as opposed to lush depressing political filler from Hail to the Thief.

[7] Yorke said his lyrics had been affected by news reports of war in 2001 to 2002 and "the feeling that we are entering an age of intolerance and fear where the power to express ourselves in a democracy and have our voices heard is being denied us"[45] but said, "[Radiohead] didn't write a protest record, we didn't write a political record."[7] After the release of Hail to the Thief, Radiohead embarked in May 2003 on a world tour, including a headlining performance at the Glastonbury Festival. The tour finished in May 2004 with a performance at the Coachella Festival. .During their tour, the band released COM LAG, an EP compiling most of their b-sides from the time.^I can not wait for the b-sides in December, I saw most of those songs during their tour and the were just as amazing.

Following their tour, the band began writing and rehearsing in their Oxford studio but soon went on hiatus. .Free of their label contract, Radiohead spent the remainder of 2004 resting with their families and working on solo projects.^Radiohead Solo Project Emerges .

In Rainbows and independent work (2005–2009)

Yorke in concert with Radiohead in 2006

.Radiohead began work on their seventh album in February 2005.[46] In September 2005, the band recorded a piano-based song, "I Want None of This", for the War Child charity album Help: A Day in the Life.^It is an actual song the band recorded.

.The album was sold online, with "I Want None of This" being the most downloaded track, although it was not released as a single.^Not only were they releasing an album, but they were releasing it online.

^Now, when the cost-effectiveness of making albums at intervals of several years is weighed up against releasing singles for download perhaps throughout a year, a different kind of creative strategy might be swallowed in the industry at large, although I don't think this factors into radiohead's thinking at all.

[47].Radiohead had already begun recording their next album on their own and then with producer Mark Stent.^Perhaps 10 years ago Radiohead wanted to produce an epic 2 disc album and the label told them to piss off.

.However, in late 2006, after touring Europe and North America and debuting 13 new songs there, the band resumed work with Nigel Godrich in London, Oxford and several rural locations in Somerset, England.^Free can work for new bands, too.

.Radiohead's seventh album, In Rainbows, was released through the band's own website on 10 October 2007 as a digital download for which customers could make whatever payment that they wanted, including nothing; the site only advised, "it's up to you".[50] Following the band's sudden announcement 10 days beforehand, Radiohead's unusual strategy received much notice within the music industry and beyond.^Radiohead October 1, 2007 2:13 AM Subscribe .

[51].1.2 million downloads were reportedly sold by the day of release,[52] but the band's management did not release official sales figures, claiming that the Internet-only distribution was intended to boost later retail sales.^The topline figure, though, is that there were three million purchases of In Rainbows, including physical CDs, box-sets, and all downloads – including those from the band’s own website and from other digital music stores.

[53] A "discbox", including a second disc from the recording sessions, vinyl and CD editions of the album, and a hardcover book of artwork, was sold and shipped in late 2007.[54]

.In Rainbows was physically released in the UK in late December on XL Recordings and in North America in January 2008 on TBD Records,[54] charting at number one both in the UK and in the US.[55][56] The album's success in the US marked Radiohead's highest chart success in that country since Kid A, while it was their fifth UK number one album.^Aaron gave it a 10 : best Radiohead album since Kid A .

."Jigsaw Falling into Place", the first single from the album, was released in the UK in January 2008.[57] The second single, "Nude", debuted at number 37 in the Billboard Hot 100, Radiohead's first song to make that chart since 1995's "High and Dry" and their first top 40 hit in the US since "Creep".[18] A greatest hits album, titled Radiohead: The Best Of, was released by EMI in June 2008.[58] The compilation was made without the input of the band and also did not contain any songs from In Rainbows, as the band had already left their label.^Radiohead at their best and this is only the first half.

[59].Radiohead continued to put out tracks from In Rainbows as singles and videos; in July a digitally-shot video for "House of Cards" was made available.^The latest single from their In Rainbows album sees more musical adventure from Radiohead – well ....

[60]."House of Cards", along with "Bodysnatchers", also received a single release on radio.^More experimental and electronic than anything they'd done previous, it received mixed reactions from both critics and fans, and the band chose to not release any singles from the album.

.Critics praised the album for having a more accessible sound and personal style of lyrics than their past work; it sold more than three million copies within one year of release.^One of the best albums in many years.

.Their production team also won the Grammy for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package.^Fans will always want the limited edition product, but I think that this move with the uber-expensive discbox says something else: some bands are ARTISTS, and others aren't.

.The band received their third nomination for Album of the Year, along with three other nominations for the band, plus nominations for Godrich's production work and for the "House of Cards" video.^Or, given a third option, it has to be criticized in a much different way that any other album is.

2009 and 2010 sessions (2009–present)

.In May 2009 the band began new recording sessions with producer Nigel Godrich.^So far only Trent Reznor , who has been hating on the record industry for a while and currently not on a label, has tried this experiment with the new Saul Williams album he produced .

[68].A few months later, in August, Radiohead released two singles from these sessions on their website.^Finally, Radiohead release a single from an album that was digitally released a couple of months ....

.First, "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)", was recorded in tribute to the recently deceased Harry Patch, the last surviving British soldier to have fought in World War I.^Yorke's comments emerge just days after his band released a download-only single , in tribute to first world war veteran Harry Patch.

The song was sold for £1, with proceeds donated to the British Legion.[69][70].The song featured Thom Yorke singing lyrics based on Patch's own statements about his war experience, over a string orchestra backdrop arranged by Jonny Greenwood.^The real joy at this stage in the bands development was the atmospheric guitar playing of greenwood working alongside a thom yorke whod developed as a vocalist .

.Jonny Greenwood explained that the song had been one of the first products of the band's recent studio sessions, and it was likely to be played during their August festival appearances, the final dates of the In Rainbows tour.^Like Primal Scream, there are always good/great songs, some OK ones, and chuff.

.In a mid-2009 NME interview, Yorke suggested that Radiohead would turn their focus from full length albums to releasing EPs, including the possibility of an EP of orchestral music.^They shook the music retail world up by releasing their last album online for whatever people wanted to pay - and people still paid plenty.

^Despite the big fuss created - as a matter of fact, a constant on any Radiohead album (giving the idea that almost any excrement they would release would be, even so, venerated to exhaustion by many).

[72].But in mid-December 2009, O'Brien posted on the band's website that the band would begin work on its next album in January.^It's odd, too, almost every website on the internet seems to be glowing with appreciation for this work, yet everyone I know in real life was really disappointed with this album.

.He stated, "The vibe in the camp is fantastic at present, and we head off into the studio in January to continue on from the work we started last summer...10 years ago we were all collectively (that’s the band) in the land of Kid A ..^Someone at work years ago lent me Kid A but I didn't like it at all.

and although hugely proud of that record, it wasn’t a fun place to be...What’s reassuring now, is that we are most definitely a different band, which should therefore mean that the music is different too and that is the aim of the game."[73]

^Plus I love the way they evolve and experiment, after OK Computer the term being thrown around in the British Music Press was "Saviors of Rock" and then they're like f uc k it let's make an electronic album with avant garde jazz and modern classical influences.

[8][27].Jonny Greenwood also cited composer Krzysztof Penderecki as an inspiration on the sound of OK Computer.^Early Reviews Variety: “Essential to the success of the movie is the original score by Jonny Greenwood, the Radiohead guitarist and BBC composer in residence.

[27].The electronic style of Kid A and Amnesiac was the result of Thom Yorke's admiration for glitch, ambient techno and IDM as exemplified by Warp Records artists such as Autechre and Aphex Twin.^They could pull off all the shit from Kid A and Amnesiac Live, and go even further with the electronic effects.

[14] The jazz of Charles Mingus, Alice Coltrane, and Miles Davis, and 1970s Krautrock bands such as Can and Neu!, were other major influences during this period.[76] Jonny Greenwood's interest in 20th century classical music also had a role, as the influence of both Penderecki and composer Olivier Messiaen was apparent; for several songs on OK Computer and later albums, Greenwood has played the Ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument popularised by Messiaen.[10].While working on Hail to the Thief, Radiohead put renewed emphasis on guitar rock.^Hail to the Thief brought a little more of the conventional guitars and drum sound to the mix, but only enough to make it sound out of place.

[42].The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and particularly Neil Young were reported sources of inspiration to the band during this period.^It almost sounds like the band is channeling the Rolling Stones with this number.

.Since their formation Radiohead have lyrically been spearheaded by Yorke, but musically, songwriting is a collaborative effort, and it has been noted in interviews that all the band members have roles in the process.^I mean no matter what sort of style or taste in music of people I know, they all at least can appreciate this band.

[36].As a result, all the band's songs are officially credited to "Radiohead". The Kid A/Amnesiac sessions brought about a change in Radiohead's musical style, and an even more radical change in the band's working method.^Radiohead makes more than music.

[36].Since the band's shift from standard rock music instrumentation toward an emphasis on electronic sound, band members have had greater flexibility and now regularly switch instruments depending on the particular song requirements.^"New" meaning that Radiohead actually is still growing and not just settling with being that weird electronic rock band.

^Click To View the Fullsize Image/s Artist Member/s: Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway, Thom Yorke Multi-award-winning Oxford five-piece Radiohead are one of the most influential rock bands of the modern musical era, with no one album in their catalogue truly mirroring its predecessor.

[36].The relaxed 2003 recording sessions for Hail to the Thief led to a different dynamic in Radiohead, with Yorke admitting in interviews that "[his] power within the band was absolutely unbalanced and [he] would subvert everybody else's power at all costs.^If Hail to the Thief was the attempt to record the album that is the all there is Radiohead album, then In Rainbows is Hail done right.

^Kid A’ and the following ‘Amnesiac’ saw Radiohead embrace electronic elements openly, initially dividing fans but with hindsight the records serve as necessary indicators of where the band would arrive at with ‘Hail To The Thief’ (2003) and ‘In Rainbows’ (2007) – envelope-pushing experimentation that always ensures it retains an accessible edge.

But ... it's actually a lot more healthy now, democracy wise, than it used to be."[81]

Collaborators

"Modified bear" logo for Kid A by Stanley Donwood and Tchock (Thom Yorke)

.The band maintains a close relationship with their producerNigel Godrich, as well as with graphic artistStanley Donwood.^It also comes with a hardcover book filled with band photos, lyrics, and artwork by Stanley Donwood who has worked on Radiohead's covers since OK Computer.

[82].He has, at times, been dubbed the "sixth member" of the band in an allusion to George Martin being called the "Fifth Beatle".[82] Donwood, another longtime associate of the band, has produced all of Radiohead's album covers and visual artwork since 1994.[83] Together with Yorke, Donwood won a Grammy in 2002 for a special edition of Amnesiac packaged as a library book.^Yes, this is the best album of all time.

[83] Other collaborators include Dilly Gent, and Peter Clements. .Gent has been responsible for commissioning all Radiohead music videos since OK Computer, working with the band to find a director suitable for each project.^Since "OK Computer" era Radiohead has been bringing not much of prog.

[84].The band's live technician, Peter Clements, or "Plank", has worked with the band since before The Bends, setting up their instruments for both studio recordings and live performances.^I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings is Radiohead's only live album up to date.

Radiohead were the Trojan Horse in that respect. Here's a band that came from the indie rock tradition that snuck in under the radar when the journalists weren't looking and started making these absurdly ambitious and pretentious - and all the better for it - records." [85]

Radiohead is an Englishrockband from the Oxford area. The lead singer and lyrics writer of the band is Thom Yorke, who also plays guitar and piano. Thom is known for his high voiced singing style and the band is known for their different style of rock music.

The band has five members, and three of them play guitar. In their early years, Radiohead was known for their layered and heavy guitar sound. In later years, the band began using other instruments too, and creating more electronic sounds. The band still performs live and attracts large crowds of fans to sold-out concerts, even though they play many different styles of music.

Most bands from England are not successful outside their home country of the UK. But Radiohead is successful in the UK and also in Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia, Israel, Japan and other parts of Asia. Radiohead does not sell as much as the biggest pop artists in the world, but they are recognized by fans and music critics. Lots of people and magazines have called their albums some of the best ever made. They have made seven albums so far, the latest, In Rainbows was released in 2007. The band also works to help environmental and peace causes.

Contents

History

Radiohead started in 1987. The members of the band went to school together at Abingdon School, a school only for boys in Abingdon.[1] The band first called themselves "On a Friday". The band would usually rehearse on Friday in their school's music room.[2]

On A Friday signed a contract with EMI, a large record label, in 1991. They changed their name to "Radiohead". This name came from the song "Radio Head" on the albumTrue Stories by Talking Heads.[3]They released their first EP, called Drill, in May 1992. It was not very popular.[4] Radiohead started work on their first album. It was called Pablo Honey and it was recorded in 1992 in a studio in Oxford.[2] They released their first single, "Creep", late in 1992. They released Pablo Honey in February 1993. The album did not become popular, but "Creep" did, and the band got a lot of fans because of it.[5] At the time, Radiohead's style of music was not very popular, and people said it sounded like Nirvana, but was not as good. They said that other Britpop bands, like Suede, were better.[6] "Creep" was played on the radio at a lot of colleges around the world, however. When Radiohead went on tour in the United States in early 1993, the music video for "Creep" was being played a lot on MTV.[7]

Radiohead made an EP in 1994. This was called My Iron Lung, and contained the title single, and seven songs known as B-sides (because they were not on a full length album). The main song, "My Iron Lung", was about the way fans had reacted to their song "Creep". The band was happy the song had been a hit, because otherwise they might not have been able to continue the band. But the band, especially Thom Yorke, were reluctant to be celebrities. They were already disturbed by the workings of the music industry. They felt they had no control over things. "Creep" was popular, so they felt under pressure to make more similar songs. They hated the way "Creep" was the only Radiohead song anyone listened to at their concerts, yet it was all that was keeping them popular and afloat in the record industry. The "iron lung" was a metaphor for such a "life support".

Their second normal album, The Bends, came out in 1995. The song "My Iron Lung" was on it, along with 11 new ones. The band released four more songs as singles: "Fake Plastic Trees", "High and Dry", "Just" and "Street Spirit [Fade Out]". None of these songs were as popular as "Creep" around the world. Radiohead was now a one-hit wonder to many people in America. Songs from The Bends did not get played on the radio very much there. But the album became very popular in Radiohead's home of the UK. It also got excellent reviews from music critics, unlike the band's first album. Many said it was one of the best rock records in memory. The album was produced by John Leckie, a veteran at EMI's Abbey Road studios. As a young man Leckie had assisted on Pink Floyd albums in the 1970s.

The band's lineup was the same for The Bends. Thom Yorke and Ed O'Brien played rhythm and auxiliary guitar; Thom sang and Ed sang backup. Phil Selway played drums and percussion. Colin Greenwood played bass guitar. Radiohead's lead guitarist was Jonny Greenwood, Colin's younger brother. Jonny was also younger than any of the other members. Jonny was the only member of the band who did not graduate from university. He was also the only member who had attended music school. Jonny had had to leave university after a few months to join Radiohead on a tour when they became popular. But he played in an orchestra when he was young, and he had a knowledge of classical and experimental music and jazz. Thus, Jonny became the band's musical expert. At this stage he already played many instruments, such as keyboard.

It was Jonny's complex and cathartic guitar solos in songs like "Just" and "The Bends" that soon began to attract notice. So did his simpler playing in other songs. The circle of Radiohead fans began to grow. Thom Yorke's lyrics also began talking about larger more political themes during this time. Mostly, they were still about personal disappointments, loves, losses, depression, unease, and anger. But Thom wrote songs like "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit" which found the source of the unease in the larger structure of society, not the individual.

Radiohead's style of music had gotten more mature, according to most people, without changing too much. Some others felt their songwriting had improved so much it was no longer unrecognizable. The band used more keyboards and acoustic guitar this time, and made a more subtle atmosphere. But electric guitars were the main instrument used on the record. Some of Radiohead's influences this time were: the post-punk band Magazine, the singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, Morrissey's (former Smiths singer) Vauxhall & I, and the music of R.E.M. That band had inspired Radiohead from the beginning. Radiohead would get a chance to tour with them in summer 1995, after releasing the album. Lead singer Michael Stipe became a friend and mentor to Thom, and also a public fan of Radiohead. In 1995 he said "they're so good, they're scary".

The band's influences had expanded once more by the time of their next album OK Computer.

With OK Computer, the band started the next section of their career. They started using more sounds from electronic music. They released the album Kid A which had a lot less use of guitar than on previous albums, but was still called one of their best albums (with some people calling it their best). An album of songs recorded during this time, but that did not appear on Kid A was released, called Amnesiac. In 2003 they released the album Hail To The Thief which was a return to a sound with more guitars and less use of electronic sounds. In 2008 they released In Rainbows. It was first released for free on the band's website, then released properly on January 1, 2008.